A Vietnam vet brought a beautiful Paul Newman Rolex to the Antiques Roadshow. The vet, who saw the watch on pilots’ wrists, kept the watch in a safety deposit box for years, taking it out occasionally.
He paid $345.97 for the Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Reference No. 6263 in 1974.
Appraiser, Peter Planes, a watch valuation expert from Luxe Auctioneers in Palm Beach, FL, was impressed.
?It?s one of the rarest Paul Newman models, and in this condition, I don?t think there?s a better one in the world,? he said. He valued the watch at $500,000 and $700,000.
The vet, understandably, fell over in shock.
?This appraisal hits the Roadshow trifecta: an extremely rare item, a personal backstory that shines a light on our country?s history, and a fantastic guest reaction,? Marsha Bemko, the show?s executive producer, said in a statement.
?For the first time ever, we had a guest so overcome by the valuation of his treasure that he falls to the ground in surprise. But don?t worry, he gets back up to finish the appraisal!?
